What drives brand decisions in Québec

November 11, 2015

Let's not forget le Jour du Souvenir

According to an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Historica Canada, most Canadians continue to mark Remembrance Day in traditional ways:

79% of Canadians will wear a poppy in the lead up to Remembrance Day

77% of Canadians will observe two minutes of silence at 11 o’clock on November 11th

The percentages are significantly lower in Québec.

[Findings from an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between October 22 and October 26, 2015. For this survey, a sample of 1,000 Canadians from Ipsos' online panel was interviewed online.]

This CBC News article about a survey for Veterans Affairs Canada conducted in 2012 offers an explanation.

Quebecers may view veterans, military past differently

Jeremy Diamond, director of the Historica-Dominion Institute, said that while participation and appreciation for veterans lags behind in Quebec, he senses an upward trend.

"When it comes to military history and remembrance, I think that we often feel that in Quebec there is still quite a sensitivity about commemorating and celebrating the military, whether it’s anniversaries or our veterans, partly to do with the conscription crisis, partly because I think Quebec sees itself more focused on honouring the veterans in Quebec, as opposed to a national recognition, or as part of a week that would affect all Canadians," Diamond said.

A subsample survey that asked Quebecers to explain the disparity found that pacifism, a preferred focus on province-specific pride issues like language and identity, and a lack of connection to military through family members were some of the reasons.